


Curtain Call

by Headphone_Love



Series: Fictober19 [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Makes Puns, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, F/M, Feelings Realization, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, If the writers can make anything happen so can I damnit, Luka is a good friend, Not Beta'd, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Original Character(s), Snake Luka Couffaine | Viperion, We die like (wo)men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-02 07:24:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21157832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Headphone_Love/pseuds/Headphone_Love
Summary: Viperion was a great hero...but Adrien has some qualms about him.The biggest being that he was after his lady.





	Curtain Call

**Author's Note:**

> For Fictober!  
This was for the 21st and I just couldn't seem to properly grasp the characterizations in this show. It's the first time I've had an issue so I apologize if any characters seem OOC. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this little drabble!

Change is annoyingly difficult, Adrien thought as he shot a look toward his temporary partner. 

Ladybug had warned him of her training for..._ whatever _ it was that Master was having her do, and he was left with who he had discovered was the holder of the snake miraculous. 

Viperion. 

Adrien huffed as he hopped from roof to roof, earning a look from the snake himself. 

“Everything alright, Chat?” 

_ Chat_. It was a bit too personal yet all the same nothing like when Ladybug called him Chaton. Adrenaline pumped whenever she called him kitty or some other affectionate nickname. It was a sign of how close they'd become as partners and friends. Ladybug saw him as more than just the goofball and more a reliable person to show her weakness to...which was a much better place than when she'd often hide things from him.

With Viperion, he just felt the urge to tell him that nicknames were off-limits for the time being. Chat Noir wasn’t sure what he and Viperion were, but it was certainly not friends...at least not yet. 

“Yeah, just peachy.”

A smile graced Viperion’s lips. “Is this about Ladybug? Because I know I’m not as ideal a partner, but I’m only here for a few weeks. I could never think of replacing someone as amazing as her.”

The blond felt his eye twitch.

He couldn't even be genuinely upset with Viperion because of comments like that. The person under that mask was a pure-hearted soul, according to Plagg, so Adrien knew he wasn't just sweet-talking him. 

‘_He’s not that bad, Adrien. I like him! Sass would never be with a holder that wasn’t capable.’ _

Yeah, and capable is what he was worried about. 

The two stopped once they had reached a decently covered alleyway. Viperion handed over the container with the akuma and nodded at him. In return, Adrien offered a slightly strained smile. 

“See you next time.”

“Yeah. Next time,” the younger agreed, watching as Viperion fled in the opposite direction, no doubt going to change back soon. With a deep sigh, he went towards the Master’s current hideout. Ladybug no doubt would be there to purify the butterfly and return everything to the way it was.

He just wished it were that easy to get his partner back at his side. 

* * *

“_Marinette_. What gives? You look like you haven't slept in weeks," Alya stated with a chuckle as Adrien walked into class that Monday. "You living a secret life we don’t know about?” 

Adrien turned his attention onto Marinette who barely responded, offering a smile instead. He wanted to say he agreed with Alya; however, Nino had told him that mentioning looking ‘tired’ to a girl was the apparent equivalent of judging her appearance. He would never want to offend her, especially when she was nothing but sweet to pretty much everyone.

Besides, he knew some of the reasons behind her sleep-deprived state and didn’t want to risk spilling too much information and seeming suspicious. Chat Noir was Adrien and vice versa, but he didn't need to end up dropping hints or getting sloppy and exposing himself. 

“Just helping out more at the bakery and designing. You know, the usual,” Marinette assured, yawning and sitting up as Adrien placed his arms down against her desk, resting his chin on it and looking up at her from his seated position.

“Well, don’t work too hard. Remember that even if you’re the everyday Ladybug, even heroes need a break,” Adrien reminded, Marinette relaxing in the shoulders. 

“Thanks. I’ll do my best to get some rest once I get home. I'll power nap and then back to work!” Marinette declared, standing and clenching her fists in confidence before plopping back into her seat and sighing. "Or...something like that," she said with a sheepish smile while he and the others chuckled. 

Typical Marinette. 

Classes went off without much of anything exciting happening. Adrien talked with Nino about a project for another class while Marinette leaned against Alya for support whenever they switched classes. At one point, Adrien could see Marinette snickering under her breath at something Alya whispered harshly at her, assuming that the darker haired girl had been caught in her attempts at exerting as little energy as possible.

It was nice to see Marinette so relaxed despite the wreck she'd been the week before when he'd dropped by as Chat. Seeing her so panicked to the point of forgetting to breathe was not a side of her he ever saw at school. She was always smiling and helping but it seemed like she wasn't too great at asking for help herself. 

Adrien was glad he could be that person she leaned on, even if it wasn't him that she saw. 

.....

Was it possible to be jealous of yourself? If so, Adrien felt a tiny bit of it whenever Marinette laughed with Chat but seemed much quieter around his civilian form. 

"Who's the tired one now?" Marinette teased, breaking him out of his trance. His eyes went a bit wide as she grinned at him. "What? Did I catch you off guard?"

Adrien relaxed and chuckled, raising a hand to the back of his neck. He could see Nino walking beside her now as her new crutch while Alya excused herself to the bathroom.

"You did, but I'm sure I'll find a way to get you back somehow."

"Marinette is shockingly hard to prank. Good luck, bro," Nino warned as Adrien raised a brow. "Last time we tried to get her for prank week and she out pranked us. She's the master."

Marinette was about to speak until she paused, eyes narrowing. Adrien was surprised at the shift until he was yanked by his wrist and found himself running while staring at Marinette's back. An explosion went off as he and his friends were thrown forward, the model wincing at the impact of the ground. He turned, looking up to the roof to see it have practically been destroyed. 

“All of you...you wouldn’t know a great show if it was right under your noses. I’ll force you to understand my art!” 

Adrien watched as the villain opened his book, only for people to be sucked in. Out they came, however this time they were entirely dressed similarly to him, wearing various masks with expressions ranging from anger to eerie happiness. 

"We have to hide!" Nino said as he helped Marinette up, the girl coughing into her hand. Adrien looked around, seeing the bathroom door cracked a bit and a hand waving. 

"Bathroom! Everyone take a locker and make sure you aren't seen."

"What about you?" Marinette insisted, staring at him with a bit of hesitation. He smiled at her, placing a finger to his lips. 

"Someone's gotta get help, right p—" he cut himself off instantly, shocked at how natural his nickname for her came even without Plagg's influence. "Don't worry about me," he finished, already catching sight of Viperion. 

"You get hurt and we're going to have a problem, dude!" Nino called as he led Marinette towards the others. Adrien took this as his chance to run out of the school, thanking Viperion for being a great distraction. Once he reached a place of cover, he transformed and returned to the scene. He could see Viperion hiding behind some rubble. He snuck his way to the snake's side and began to keep an eye out, all senses heightened. 

“He goes by Cothurnus."

"Yeah, I know."

Adrien blinked. “How?"

“I...might have seen him get akumatized,” Viperion admitted, shooting a sad look towards him and letting out a breath. “That isn’t important right now. What matters is making sure he doesn’t get any more victims. The more he has the more powerful he gets. He almost got a few earlier while I was waiting for you.”

Frowning, Adrien stood up and twirled his staff. “Alright then. I think it’s about time for the real show to start, don’t you think?” 

Viperion chuckled. “Only if you don’t mind a bit of improvisation. I seem to have left my script at home,” he replied, activating his second chance as a precaution. The akuma laughed with such enthusiasm that it made Adrien almost cringe, but instead he hopped up towards the roof as the Cothurnus finally spotted him. 

The laughter quieted down, replaced with a look of pure anger.

“You and the snake took the rest of my audience from me. What good is a show if it does not have a full house on opening night?!” 

Adrien leaned on his staff, looking far too relaxed, he knew. It was the best way to get under the skin of akumas since they thrived on fear.

“Sorry to draw the curtain so early, but it just so happens to be a school night. Pity, I know.”

With a pout for good measure, Adrien carefully avoided a blast from the akuma's book. Once his feet touched the ground again, he was off, giving the villain the run-around and continuing to heckle while thinking up a plan.

“I’m more a comedy man, myself anyway! Tragedies are so 6th century!”

“I’ll show you! I'll show you all that tragedies are superior to pointless drabble such as comedy!”

“Thanks, but I have enough material to last a lifetime already No hard feelings!" Adrien replied, getting a blow in as the akuma crashed to the ground below. Using this time to hide again, he called Viperion from his staff while he caught his breath. “Well, I know for sure now that it's that book of his that has the akuma. It turns people into those creepy audience members.”

“His journal...it’s where he kept all his notes on the history of drama and possible plot ideas,” Viperion replied, Adrien raising a brow and clearing his throat. 

“How would you know that, exactly?” 

“Like I said...I saw this happen,” Viperion said with a hint of amusement. “Second chance is activated, so I’ll follow your lead.”

Adrien pieced together thatViperion had hinted towards his actual identity, but instead focused on how he was permitted to do whatever he wanted as long as he got the book and destroyed it.

“Now you’re speaking my language. How about adding in a touch of Chat Noir to this piece?” 

Viperion snorted. “I think a final touch from fresh eyes never hurt anyone.”

Raising his hand into the air, Adrien could feel the power already beginning to surge. 

“Cataclysm!”

* * *

Dealing with the akuma had been a lot easier this time than the last. Adrien had to admit that his Lady knew her stuff. He wasn’t sure things would have been as easy to do with Rena or Carapace had they been chosen instead. Especially since Viperion seemed extremely aggressive this time around rather than his usual passive self. They hadn’t even used the second chance more than once as far as he knew.

“Nice one, Chat.”

Feeling a bit lighter, Adrien smiled sincerely, holding out his fist. “You too, Viperion. Nice job catching him by surprise like that.”

“I learn from the best.”

They pounded their fists together, Viperion tensing as if he remembered something, eyes darting around. Chat could hear his ring beep, about to take his leave until the snake spoke. 

“Marinette!” 

The name made Adrien’s back go straight. Viperion was gone from his side, already standing by the girl he’d called out to. Adrien moved to follow, landing right in front of Marinette who stared at him like a deer in the headlights. He gazed back at her with far too many emotions running through his mind, smiling in an attempt to hide it all. 

“Princess. Fancy seeing you here.”

Snapping out of her daze, Marinette's smile returned. "A pleasure all the same," she joked, his shoulders relaxing instantly. She wasn't embarrassed by him which had been a fear from the start of his visits to her balcony. She parted her lips to continue only to wince and curl into herself with a gasp.

Adrien lurched forward, but Viperion had him beat. It was then that Adrien remembered the blast from earlier, feeling a familiar ache along his hip.

“You don’t have to worry,” Marinette insisted, but Viperion’s expression had gone serious.

“You’re hurt.” 

More a statement than a question. 

“It wasn’t even the akuma that did it, I just got caught in the crossfire,” Marinette chuckled softly, Adrien wondering if she was attempting to convince them or herself. “I’m fine, honest! Just clumsy ol’ me. The usual Marinette special, _right, _Alya?” 

Alya frowned deeply but crossed her arms in resignation. “Yeah,” she spoke with a bit of reluctance. “The Marinette special.”

Pleased with backup, Marinette returned her attention to Viperion. She snuck a few glances towards him—or Chat, as she saw him currently—while she spoke. “Thank you for making sure I got to safety despite the chaos.”

Viperion shook his head. "It's nothing, as long as you're safe. You were struggling a bit from what I saw."

"Ah, I'm just tired, probably not as much as you both."

Turning completely, now, Marinette eyed Adrien to the point he wondered if she saw through his disguise. 

“You did amazing, ki—_ Chat. _ Ladybug is lucky to have a reliable partner. Though I gotta ask, how many times does this make? Seven? Eight?"

The words made his heart race and to anyone else, they’d sound like nonsense. But to him, it was the number of times they’d met during an attack and the number of times he’d saved her...although this time he hadn’t. 

Viperion did. 

His ears and cheeks grew warm, though not from the usual affections for his Lady. Out of shame that he hadn’t realized Marinette hadn’t gotten out of the blast unscathed. Ladybug always said that the first thing to look for was that the vicinity was clear and to minimize the damage done without her around due to the delay in her ladybugs.

Before he could respond to her prompt, Viperion leaned down as an offer to carry her. Adrien hadn’t realized his senses were on high alert until his jaw began to ache from the pressure of clenching his teeth. His palms burned from within his gloves, a part of him knowing there were crescent indentations in the skin.

“I’ll take Marinette home. She’s hurt and until Ladybug uses her ladybugs to fix everything she'll need some medical attention to be on the safe side.”

“I can do it,” Adrien insisted, seeming to surprise Marinette when he moved to her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I’ve taken her home before so it’d be faster. Besides, you aren’t used to your miraculous so your time limit isn't as stable. You said you knew the victim and should maybe check on him?”

Viperion’s eyes lit up at the realization that Adrien was right. 

“It’s fine. You’re about to transform back, right? Ladybug told me once before that your identities _ must _ remain secret.”

“But—”

“Please go,” Marinette said, a bit softer this time but not lacking in authority. “I’ll be perfectly fine. But you won’t be if Ladybug finds out you plastered all over Alya’s Lady blog.”

Adrien knew she was right, only backing down once Viperion listened as well. He let his arm fall from her shoulders and was glad to see Alya and Nino take over naturally.

Satisfied with those who were caring for Marinette, Viperion bowed to bluenette. 

“Until next time, my muse.”

Viperion then shot him a nod before going on his way with the victim in his arms. His words to Marinette lingered in Adrien’s mind despite them being relatively tame. Viperion had neither done such a show with anyone else that they’d saved nor looked as concerned as he had this time around. Adrien had seen similar interactions when it came to him and Ladybug which meant….

Ladybug was safe from Viperion's affections...but the snake had eyes for Marinette?

Just Adrien's luck...the black cat miraculous really lived up to its name. 

“Stay safe, Marinette,” Adrien spoke once he snapped from his thoughts, sounding off even to himself. He felt eyes on his back as he left, not wanting to think about whether Marinette wore the same expression watching him go as she did with the snake he called his temporary partner.

* * *

“Chat, I told you I’m fine now,” Marinette insisted with a small yawn.

Two days. 

It had been two days since the akuma and while the ladybugs had long since fixed everything, his mind still focused on the Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She hadn’t been flustered to see him like the first time: instead, waiting on her balcony with a knowing expression that had him wanting to laugh. 

Was he that predictable nowadays?

“You can’t blame me for worrying, princess. Master told me that the only reason you were healed is that the damage hadn’t been too bad. Any worse and even Ladybug’s abilities might not have worked completely,” he scolded. 

Marinette sighed, giving up her attempts at convincing and walking over to him. She leaned up while he was perched on her rooftop’s gate, patting his head. He nearly leaned into it but held back to remain serious.

“Chat. As adorable as you being worried is, I’m a strong girl.”

Adrien shifted, knowing that already. Marinette was one of the strongest people he knew, not that he could tell her that without hinting at knowing her outside of his suit. It was the reason he had called her the everyday Ladybug. He was more disappointed that he hadn’t done more to ensure her safety considering he'd been there when it happened.

“I know that you and Ladybug will fix things at the end of the day.”

“And Viperion?”

Marinette seemed surprised at the mention of the other hero, seeming to flush a bit. She probably remembered his words just as he did. “Viperion is great. I've run into him a few times and I can see why Ladybug chose him, but when all else fails, I know Chat Noir will be the one that can defy all odds,” she said without a hint of doubt in her voice. "It's why you work so well with your lady, isn't it?" she asked in a way that made it harder to breathe for a moment. It was like she knew what to say to him when even he didn’t know what would work.

“My Lady?” Adrien asked while a bit dazed from the compliment. 

“Ladybug?” Marinette said with a laugh, shaking her head.

“I’ll always love Ladybug. But she loves someone else...and I respect that,” Adrien admitted. "Besides, I might be following her advice and keeping my eyes open to someone new."

Marinette’s lips parted as her laughter died down. “Oh? Never thought I’d see the day.”

“I want her to be happy, and she wants the same for me. I think…I think that’s okay with me, now. It's just my luck that the person I might like seems to have another suitor that beat me to it."

“You’ll be fine. Any girl would be lucky to have you. Now shoo. And get some rest.”

“Rest only comes after I make sure all is well,” Adrien reminded as Marinette pointed at him sternly. 

“Even heroes need a break once in a while, as a wise person told me.”

Smiling at the irony of his own words being thrown back at him, he sighed and nodded. “That they do. Though it seems I’ve got some energy to spend even now. Must be the spark between us,” he said without thinking, expecting an immediate ‘not now, Chat’ and receiving only laughter.

“Oh? You must have some energy if you’re flirting,” Marinette said while crossing her arms. “Guess I won’t have to worry about you getting back home safe?” 

“Not at all. Goodnight,” Adrien said softly as Marinette offered a wave. 

“Goodnight, Chat. Thanks for checking on me.”

Feeling bold, Adrien reached out to kiss her hand, bowing his head. “Anything for my princess.”

He could feel eyes on his back as he took his leave.

This time, he couldn't help but grin at the feeling. 


End file.
